2011 was the first year he's made BOTH the Indian Wells and Miami finals in the same year. And he was a 3rd set tie-breaker away from winning Miami (and that is an event he's never won). So he's extremely close to winning those events.

2011 was the first year he's made BOTH the Indian Wells and Miami finals in the same year. And he was a 3rd set tie-breaker away from winning Miami (and that is an event he's never won). So he's extremely close to winning those events.

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Being close doesn't mean he won it though, last I checked. :lol:
And it doesn't mean he'll be any closer to winning it the next time either.

He'll probably win a World Tour Finals or 2, because in 2010 he was only one set from beating Federer in the final. He can definitely play at that level again. Nadal beat Djokovic in the 2010 World Tour Finals. It would have been interesting if he had won the 3rd set vs Tsonga at 2011 World Tour Finals, but I just don't think his heart was in it, because Davis Cup Final was the week after and on clay. Nadal believes that he needs to train a lot on the surface he's switching to, so the World Tour Finals would have been a major inconvenience for the patriotic Nadal.

Why is Monte Carlo still a Masters considering many players didn't even show up for it including Federer, Isner and Del Potro? Shouldn't it be downgraded to a 500 event? It's lost its luster.

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Don't be ridiculous. Monte Carlo is one of the biggest masters series tournaments of all and has a very long history. It also has stronger fields and more committed players than the Shanghai monstrosity gets, and to think they downgraded Hamburg for that. Disgusting.

Don't be ridiculous. Monte Carlo is one of the biggest masters series tournaments of all and has a very long history. It also has stronger fields and more committed players than the Shanghai monstrosity gets, and to think they downgraded Hamburg for that. Disgusting.

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Please, facts are facts, and since it went to non mandatory status it has been anything but a Masters.

I personally think he will win 69 Master Shields , before retiring at age 60. 35 of those being Monte Carlo. I'm probably underestimating however.

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Stop being such a Nadal hater. He will clearly win atleast a thousand Master shields, and that's by a low estimate. He will also win the Grand Slam several times over, end world hunger, find the cure to cancer and become the next king of Spain.

I personally think he will win 69 Master Shields , before retiring at age 60. 35 of those being Monte Carlo. I'm probably underestimating however.

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You definitely are underestimating, in fact your mathematics is worse than even mine.

He already has 20, and he is 25/26 years old. So he has 49 to win, and 35 years to win them. That's just one or two a year. Shame on you.

Also he has 8 MC's, so he has 27 more to win. And 35 years. Even the most rabid hater would not agree that Rafa will let a single MC title slip by until he retires. That would suggest a serious decline. If he can't win MC in a given year, what hope has he to win anything else, esp a mandatory event.

Stop being such a Nadal hater. He will clearly win atleast a thousand Master shields, and that's by a low estimate. He will also win the Grand Slam several times over, end world hunger, find the cure to cancer and become the next king of Spain.

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Let him first find a cure to Djokovic. Then we talk about other things.

You definitely are underestimating, in fact your mathematics is worse than even mine.

He already has 20, and he is 25/26 years old. So he has 49 to win, and 35 years to win them. That's just one or two a year. Shame on you.

Also he has 8 MC's, so he has 27 more to win. And 35 years. Even the most rabid hater would not agree that Rafa will let a single MC title slip by until he retires. That would suggest a serious decline. If he can't win MC in a given year, what hope has he to win anything else, esp a mandatory event.

By calling Nole a one-year wonder you are admitting indirectly that Nadal had no answer for Nole in 2011. He had to wait for Nole to get off that "one-year wonder" in order to beat him. *sigh*

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No, I'm admitting that Nadal 2010 is far superior to Nadal 2011. Nadal regaining his 2010 form (not uncommon, as he was great in 2008, slipped in 2009, and regained form in 2010) overshadows anything Djokovic can do. I'm calling Djokovic a 'one year wonder' because I know Nadal has regained top form, so 2012 won't be Djokovic's year.